I'm starting to look like an addict...

So, you know that appointment I had on Monday? To get my referral to talk to a colorectal surgeon about potentially getting a colonoscopy done?

Well, they need bloodwork done first. No problem! I'm not a huge fan of getting poked and prodded, but it's just a little pinch and then wham, bam, you're done.

Or so it has been in the past...

I did my 12 hour fast Monday night and came in bright and early on Tuesday morning. One nurse tried my right arm with a butterfly needle. No luck. A phlebotomist [fancy name for essentially a vein expert] came in and tried my left arm with a regular needle. No luck. At that point I got a little woozy and sick feeling, which I've never had happen. Thank goodness I brought a yogurt! 

They asked me to fast again that evening and to come back Wednesday morning. I drank plenty of water [maybe even got a taste of what pregnancy is like -- I woke up twice during the night to pee!] and showed up. A third nurse tried once more on my left arm. No luck. They told me that they needed to refer me to the hospital. Goody.

I decided to give my veins and arms a break on Thursday and dragged myself in on Friday morning. That aforementioned lack of anxiety about getting blood drawn? Yeah, after three unsuccessful stabbings, I was feeling a little nervous. 

The nurse they had recommended to me, Rob, was fortunately there. He put the tourniquet on my arm and in about 15 seconds was getting ready to poke me. I told him that if he needed to use my hand [as my friend Jenn said, I could hit that vein in your hand with a dart!], that was fine. He said "no, no, I've got a great one right here!" I look down and cannot see anything. I trust him because, you know, he's the go-to guy on this kind of thing. Sure enough, poked the vein directly, blood came out and I was good to go less than a minute later. 

I think I know where  I'll be going for bloodwork in the future!